Quick comparison: best cybersecurity software
| Layer | Product | Price on vendor page | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endpoint | Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | Not shown (price placeholder); calculator by devices and years | Calculator covers 1 to 100 devices; free trial, purchase needed before it ends |
| Email security | Proofpoint (365 Total Protection page) | No prices listed | Essentials page could not be loaded; free trial request offered |
| Training | KnowBe4 SAT Foundation / Advanced | $2.40 / $3.75 per seat/month at 25-50 seats (3-year term) | Excludes taxes; price varies by region |
| Firewall | Cisco Meraki MX67/MX68/MX75 | No licensing or prices listed | MX67 and MX68 for up to 50 users; MX75 up to 200 |
Bitdefender GravityZone: endpoint protection with a trial
Bitdefender’s Business Security page offers a free trial that you start online, with a paid subscription required before the trial ends. The price field showed only a placeholder, and the calculator takes a number of devices (from 1 to 100) and years, so no per-device price can be quoted here.
The navigation lists related packages (Small Business Security, Business Security Premium, Enterprise and Defense XDR), but the page itself describes only Business Security.
- Free trial available
- Calculator for 1 to 100 devices
- Related higher packages listed
- Price not visible in the page text
- Tiers not described on the page
- Must buy before the trial ends to keep using it
Proofpoint: email security, pricing not published
The Proofpoint Essentials page could not be loaded for this guide. The Proofpoint page we could read describes 365 Total Protection for Microsoft 365: AI-based threat detection with sandboxing and URL rewriting, business email compromise protection, S/MIME and PGP encryption, DMARC, DKIM and SPF management, automated backup with unlimited retention, security awareness training in 30+ languages and permission governance across SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams.
It states it is designed for small and midsize businesses with lean IT teams, lists no prices and offers a free trial request. Whether Essentials has the same features was not verified.
- Broad Microsoft 365 coverage on the page we read
- Aimed at lean IT teams
- Trial request offered
- No prices listed
- Essentials details not verified
- Features described are for a different package
KnowBe4: security awareness training with published seat pricing
KnowBe4’s pricing page lists two training content levels, SAT Foundation and SAT Advanced, in USD per seat per month on a 3-year term. At 25-50 seats they are $2.40 and $3.75; 51-100 seats $2.13 and $3.40; 101-250 seats $1.97 and $3.19; 251-500 seats $1.80 and $2.96; 501-1000 seats $1.63 and $2.79; above 1,000 is quote-based.
For example, 25 seats on SAT Foundation would be about $60 a month ($2.40 x 25). Prices may vary by region and exclude taxes and fees; annual per-user pricing was not stated.
- Seat-band prices published
- Two content levels
- Prices fall as seats rise
- 3-year term pricing only on the page
- 25-seat minimum band implied
- Taxes and fees extra
Cisco Meraki MX: cloud-managed firewall for small branches
Meraki’s MX security appliance page describes a built-in next-gen firewall with IDS/IPS, URL filtering and malware protection, Cisco XDR integration, SD-WAN, and cloud management through one dashboard, with a demo and free trial offered.
Small-branch models listed are MX67 and MX68 (50 users, 700 Mbps) and MX75 (200 users, 1 Gbps), plus newer 8111-G2-MX and 8121-G2-MX (200 users, 2 Gbps). Several wireless variants are marked end-of-sale. The page lists no licensing or prices.
- Cloud dashboard management
- Models sized for 50 to 200 users
- Free trial offered
- No prices or licensing on the page
- Page does not use the term small business
- Some models end-of-sale
Verdict: best cybersecurity software in 2026
Our short verdict on the best cybersecurity software: decide using the price, limits and data gaps shown above, not the headline discount.
If you are still comparing the best cybersecurity software, use the free plans, trials or refund windows as your real test.
Start with the layer that matches your biggest risk. Email and untrained staff are common entry points, so KnowBe4 is the easiest to budget because it publishes seat-band prices. For devices, request the Bitdefender GravityZone trial and get a quote for your device count. For the network, Meraki fits sites that want a cloud-managed firewall, but licensing must be quoted.
No tool prevents every attack: pair software with backups, multi-factor authentication and patching, and ask each vendor for a written quote.
Related guides for the best cybersecurity software: best antivirus software for Windows 11 · best password manager for families.
Sources (vendor pages read October 2026): Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security · Proofpoint · KnowBe4 pricing · Cisco Meraki MX
Small business cybersecurity FAQs
What cybersecurity software does a small business need?
Typically endpoint protection, email security, security awareness training and a firewall, plus backups and multi-factor authentication.
How much does KnowBe4 cost?
SAT Foundation is $2.40 and SAT Advanced $3.75 per seat per month at 25-50 seats on a 3-year term, excluding taxes.
How much does Bitdefender GravityZone cost?
The page showed a price placeholder; its calculator takes devices (1 to 100) and years. A free trial is offered.
Does Proofpoint publish prices?
The Proofpoint page we read lists no prices and offers a free trial request.
Does Meraki publish prices?
The Meraki MX page lists no licensing or prices and links to documentation and a free trial.
Which Meraki model suits a small office?
The page lists MX67 and MX68 for up to 50 users and MX75 for up to 200 users as small-branch models.
Is security awareness training worth it?
Phishing and social engineering often target staff, so training addresses a different layer than software; effectiveness varies by programme.
Can one product cover everything?
Not on the pages we read; they cover separate layers, so budget for several.
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